What is the Halloween season without a few good-natured spooks and scares? As long as they’re not too scary, of course! Even the littlest ones love venturing outside their comfort zone and relishing in the thrill of spooky season, but many haunted houses and other scare-centric activities are geared toward the older kids and teenagers who are able to handle a little more intensity. This can leave younger kids feeling left out — especially if they love the spooky aspect of Halloween.
So, what’s a parent to do? You’re not completely out of options. There’s always the opportunity of creating your own haunted attraction in your backyard, a neighborhood common area, the parking lot of a school or church or some other location with plenty of space. The best part? It can be as elaborate (and as scary) as you’d like.
Tips From a Local Expert
For the past two years, Joe Wiczulis and some of his neighbors have put together a haunted trail for their Severna Park neighborhood (which will go unmentioned, as the trail is open only to their community members). Wiczulis got involved after hearing from his daughter, who is friends with the daughter of another volunteer, that the haunted trail was in the works. The trail ended up becoming a neighborly collaboration that involved plenty of volunteers, lots of creativity and — of course — no shortage of fun. Last year, about 2,000 neighbors walked the haunted trail, and it’s proven to be such a hit that the tradition is continuing this year.
Here are some tips he has to share for anyone who wants to do something similar in their own neighborhood:
- Social media can be a great resource for ideas, tutorials and free supplies.
As the volunteer who is in charge of props and decorations, Wiczulis guesses he makes about half of them and buys the other half (and he’s already started making things for this year). He searches Facebook Marketplace for cheap items he can repurpose, and then watches a few YouTube videos on how everyday items can be turned into some kind of prop or scenery piece
“The best advice I can give is to join as many social media pages as you can involving home haunts and DIY Halloween decorations,” he says. “Research and see what everyone’s making and ask questions.” He says most people in Facebook groups for Halloween decorations are eager and happy to share plenty of ideas and suggestions.
- Let it be a community event — you can never plan enough or get enough help.
Realistically, you will probably have to seek permission for your haunted attraction. “If somebody is setting up in an HOA neighborhood, the HOA is going to be their first hurdle,” he says. In his case, he and his fellow volunteers have HOA permission, but it’s why they’re not allowed to open up the attraction to people outside the neighborhood. Similarly, they have a specific period of time, including time for setup and takedown.
Start developing ideas as far in advance as you can, and make sure you consider pragmatic aspects in addition to the fun stuff. Will you have easy places for families to exit if the scares get too intense for a kid? If somebody trips and falls, do you have a powerful light source you can turn on quickly to provide first aid? Do you have walkie talkies so volunteers can communicate easily from different points along the trail?
- Figure out your power supply — you’ll probably need a lot of it.
An elaborate haunting takes a lot of power. You might need to run lights, animatronics, a fog machine and speakers for sound effects. Wiczulis acknowledges that if he tried to do all of the theatrics from his own home power supply, he’d probably trip a breaker. That’s why his group runs power from multiple houses, as well as relies on temporary breaker boxes and industrial-grade generators. The last thing you want is to have a huge power crash that cuts the fun short.
- Windshield wiper motors are great for creating animatronics.
Getting figures and puppets to move on their own is always a nice touch, and Wiczulis says that one of his favorite tools for creating some Halloween magic is a windshield wiper motor. “You can pretty much make 80% of any animatronic out of a windshield wiper motor,” he says.
- Save on fog juice by making your own.
Another favorite DIY tip from Wiczulis? Save money by making your own fog juice. Sure, you can fill your fog machine with the storebought stuff, but it’s just as easy to combine vegetable glycerin with water for a juice that creates a really nice, thick fog.
One last note: Let it grow every year.
You don’t have to get it right for your inaugural event. Part of the fun with a tradition like this is getting more support, developing better ideas and putting on a better show with each passing year. Wiczulis explains that their first year, it was a one-night-only engagement on Halloween, but they were able to do it over two nights last year. They also received donations, and a turnout of volunteers meant they had more help. The result? The second year was a much more impressive attraction. “We had people approach us and say the opening scene was something they’d expect from Universal Studios,” he says.
Other Ideas for All Ages
- Get the kids involved. Sure, most kids will want to walk through the haunted house or trail, but some of them might get a kick out of dressing up in costume, playing a role or creating some sound effects.
- Don’t have a fog machine? Pick up some dry ice and let it sublimate in a bucket of water. You’ll be amazed at how smokey it gets.
- Hang up black tarps or sheets of painted cardboard to create a passageway that your guests have to walk through. It’s spooky not knowing what’s up ahead or around the corner.
- Create ghosts by hanging white fabric over balloons or foam heads. String them from trees and let them sway in the wind.
- Cut foam insulation boards into tombstone shapes and paint them gray. Add funny names like I.M. Gone for a more lighthearted touch to the décor.
Can’t-Miss Haunts for Little Ghosts
Kid-friendly haunted events are hard to come by, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of Halloween activities out there for all ages. Here’s what you can add to your family calendar:
Boo Fest at Six Flags
Sept. 13-Nov. 2
Take part in family-friendly Halloween activities during this last hurrah before Six Flags permanently closes this fall.
MD Corn Maze
Sept. 13-Nov. 2
Get lost in everything fall at this expansive corn maze in Gambrills, where you can also participate in other autumnal activities like hayrides, hay jumps and hay pyramids.
Butler’s Orchard Pumpkin Festival
Sept. 20-Nov. 2
Pick your own pumpkins, then explore all kinds of other fun-tastic farm activities like a giant slide, corn hole games, a corn maze and hayrides.
Pumpkin Patch for the Light House
Sept. 27-Oct. 31
Come find your perfect Eastern Shore pumpkin at this fundraiser to benefit the Annapolis Light House Shelter.
Hansel Hill Farm Halloween Fun
Oct. 17, 4 p.m.
This family-centered event includes pumpkin decorating and a not-so-spooky hayride, plus an inflatable corn maze and time with the farm animals.
Halloween Happening
Oct. 18-27
There’s something for all ages at the haunted barn and hayride taking place Friday through Sunday each weekend at the Anne Arundel County Fairgrounds.
aacountyfair.org
Severna Park Community Center’s Halloween Spooktacular
Oct. 24, 5 p.m.
The parking lot of the Severna Park Community Center becomes a magical Halloweentown with trunk-or-treating, games, a spooky photo booth and more.
